Apparatus for making drawings



Sept 10, 1935. D. c. MORRISON 2,014,006

APPARATUS FOR MAKING DRAWINGS Filed Jan. 14, 1932 '1 l I .9 E j 1: D] rI 1 l I I I I 3 k. l I I I l I I l J INVENTOR David C. Morrison/ BY /awmMa ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR MAKINGDRAWINGS David O. Morrison, New York, N.

Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Elgae Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application January 14, 1932, Serial No. 586,490

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for makingdrawings with certain portions thereof simulating half-tone effects,more particularly of the type adapted for direct, screenlessreproductionby photo-engraving processes, as line cuts, zinc etchings and the like,as distinguished from drawings reproduced by means of the well knownhalf tone screen plate process.

It is a matter of common knowledge to those skilled in printing,engraving and other allied arts that line cuts cost less than half toneplates. The well known Ben Day process is therefore now widely practicedto secure some of the advantages of half tone representation within thelimits imposed by line plate technique; and for present purposes, it issufficient to note that this process involves the application ofmarkings in the form of small spots, lines or the like in varying shapesand patterns to the surface of a drawing by a transfer or printingoperation. This step in the reproduction of a drawing is usuallyperformed by the engraver, either independently or under the artistsdirection. In many cases, the artistic or other intended eiTect of theoriginal drawing may be destroyed or substantially defeated byinexpertness in application of the Ben Day process.

One object of my invention has been to provide apparatus whereby asimulation of the Ben Day effect may be readily incorporated along withand as a part of the original drawings by the artist who produces it, sothat no printing or transfer steps need be interposed to render thedrawings suitable for reproduction. In addition to the beneficialresults following the attainment of this object by my improvedapparatus, other advantages of material importance are secured, as willmore fully appear from the following description of one form ofapparatus suitable for use in connection with my improved method andillustrated in the drawing accompanying the present specification inwhich:-

Figure l is a view in perspective;

Figure 2, a plan View;

Figure 3, a fragmentary sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4, a fragmentary sectional view illustrating in magnified degreea step involved in the operation of drawing; and

Figures 5 and 6 fragmentary plan views in magnified degree of variousplaten patterns which may be employed in connection with my improvedapparatus and method.

One form of apparatus suitable for use in connection with the practiceof my improved method includes a frame or base I and a cover or lidpreferably in the general form of a drawing board 2 having a smooth andsubstantially continuous top surface except where said surface is 5interrupted by an opening 3 extending through the board 2 to accommodatewhat may conveniently be referred to as a platen l which is made of anysuitable material having any desired degree of flexibility or rigidityprovided 10 with a discontinuous or interrupted working surface formed,for example, by a plurality of raised areas 5 interspersed with ordefined by relatively depressed areas 6.

The platen l may conveniently be supported in position to register withthe opening 3 by a suitable platen holder l supported on the base i inposition to bring the platen t into register with the opening 3. Aflange 8 surrounds the opening 3 and overlaps edge portions of the plat-I en holder l as well as edge portions of the platen 4 when in positionthereon as illustrated in Figure 3.

The base i is also provided with one or more recesses 9 within whichextra platens, as it and l i, may be stored or transported when not inuse. Access to these extra platens is more readily afforded by means ofopenings or grooves 52 in side walls of the recesses 9. If desired, thebase B may also be provided with another recess I 3 which can beutilized for carrying pencils, erasers and/or other articles useful toan artist.

In operation, a drawing sheet H3 is tacked to the drawing board 2 bymeans of thumb tacks IE, or the like, and with any desired portion ofthe sheet lying above a platen having any selected or desired pattern ofraised and depressed areas. In a typical case, the drawing may ineludean area defined by lines it, to which area it is desired to apply amarking in simulation of Ben Day. Where the drawing paper or other sheetM is sufficiently flexible, the desired result is secured by rubbing acrayon ll, or other suitable marking device, across the surface of saidarea. Figure 4 indicates how a deposit or marking 08 is left uponcertain portions and not upon other portions of the surface of the paperM when the crayon ll is moved across said paper in the direction of thearrow. 0

The modified form of platen illustrated in Fig- 5 ure 5 presents annularraised areas l9 enclosing depressed areas 20 and surrounded by depressedareas 2|. In the modification illustrated in Figure 6 the platen isprovided with diamond 2 shaped raised areas 22 defined by surroundingdepressed areas 23.

It is noted further in connection with Figure 4 that the crayon H hasleft a marking deposit l8 on those portions of the exposed surface ofthe sheet M which lie over the raised areas 5 of the platen 4; but nomark has been made on portions of the sheet which lie over the depressedareas 6. If it is desired to apply markings of a different pattern to adifferent area of the drawing, the platen 4 is removed from itsposition, as shown in Figure 2, and replaced by one of the extra platensor another platen with a different pattern of raised and depressedareas. By repeating the operation of rubbing the crayon across thesurface of the paper while in contact with the interrupted surface ofthe new platen, the desired different markings are obtained. It iscontemplated that under some circumstances, satisfactory results in thepractice of my method may be obtained by using a platen or itsequivalent for the intended purpose independently of the other specificapparatus shown and described. I also contemplate that any given platenmay be provided with different patterns covering different areas of itsexposed surface and/or overlapping or intermingling along edge portionsthereof if desired, Figure 5, so that, instead of changing the platen,the artist may shift his drawing from one position thereon to another toavail himself of a different underlying pattern.

Whatever material is used in making the platens according to myinvention, the raised areas 5 thereof will be so elevated or otherwisedefined and constructed that, when a crayon or the like is drawn acrossa sheet operatively positioned thereon, markings will be made only onthose portions of the paper overlying the raised areas; and that noeffective full tone marking will simultaneously occur on those portionsof the sheet overlying the depressed areas 5, it being contemplated thatthese portions will yield far enough into the spaces between the raisedareas so that frictional contact of the crayon with the sheet overlyingsaid spaces will not be suflicient to cause the crayon to leave a fulltone marking. It will be understood that the extent to which the raisedareas are elevated above the depressed areas to secure a satisfactory orthe intended result cannot be arbitrarily fixed, inasmuch as thisdimension may vary widely without departing from the intended scope ofmy invention. Generally speaking, however, where the sheet of drawingpaper is relatively flexible the depth of the recesses on the plateshould be such that the paper yields easily into said recesses withoutcoming into contact with the depressed areas thereof while the crayon isdrawn across the exposed surface of the sheet. It will be apparent thata less yielding or less flexible paper may be used successfully wherethe depth of the recesses is less in proportion. Whatever the characterof the paper or of the platen, the two tone effect for successfulreproduction by line out is achieved within the meaning of thisinvention where the depth of the recesses is such that no substantialmarking is made on the drawing sheet except where it rests upon theraised areas of the platen. In some cases, where the crayon leaves darkmarkings on the spaces above the raised areas light markings on thespaces above the depressed areas, the process produces an artisticallyinteresting and effective intermediate or half tone which may be takenadvantage of, or which may be offset for line out reproduction bymethods well understood in the engraving art.

The devices above described and/or parts thereof are adapted to be usedto advantage in connection with making drawings for many differentpurposes and presenting a wide variety of visual efiects heretofore notreadily achievable by known drawing methods or apparatus. For example,in addition to the described steps of applying one pattern of markingsto one area and another pattern to another area, the method may includeapplying different patterns to the same areas to produce greater varietyof pattern or effect.

It is contemplated further that my improved method and/or apparatus willenhance the artistic and naturalistic aspects of animated cartoonsreproduced in moving pictures. Where my invention is used in makingdrawings for reproduction without Ben Day, it effects not only thedesirable artistic results hereinabove referred to but also permits asubstantial reduction in the cost of line plates by eliminating the BenDay operation entirely. Thus, my invention not only extends the fieldwithin which line cuts may be used in place of half tones but it alsoreduces the cost of line cuts having the Ben Day effect.

I claim:-

1. Apparatus for drawing comprising a board having a substantiallysmooth Working surface adapted to support a drawing sheet and an openingthrough said surface, a supporting base therefor, and a platen having adiscontinuous surface consisting of raised areas defined by depressedareas removably mounted on said base in a position to be exposed throughsaid opening in the board with the raised platen-areas uniplanar withsaid working surface and adapted to also support the drawing sheet whileworking on the latter.

2. Apparatus for drawing comprising a board having a substantiallysmooth working surface adapted to support a drawing sheet and an openingthrough said surface, a supporting base therefor, and a platen having adiscontinuous surface consisting of raised areas defined by depressedareas removably mounted on said base in a position to be exposed throughsaid opening in the board with the upper surface of the platensubstantially flush with said working surface and adapted to alsosupport the drawing sheet while working on the latter.

3. Apparatus for drawing comprising a board having a substantiallysmooth working surface adapted to support a drawing sheet and an opening through said surface, a platen having a discontinuous surfaceconsisting of raised areas defined by depressed areas removably mountedon said base within said opening, the upper surface of said platen beingsubstantially flush with the said working surface and adapted to alsosupport the drawing sheet while working on the latter.

DAVID C. MORRISON.

